Mad'trail

Who said runners aren’t crazy? Running for hours, climbing peaks and sprinting at full tilt — we know running enthusiasts have their own bit of madness 🤪.

If you want to mix new experiences with a sporting challenge and a strong urge to have fun, the station of Valmorel in Savoie, in the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region, opens its doors to a mountain trail that will blow your mind 🤪. In addition to offering races with a backdrop of unique scenery between ridges and valleys, the Mad’Trail will give you a choice among a multitude of trails.

Put away your après-ski gear because it’s in July, i.e., midsummer, that you’ll go riding the powder on alpine trails. We recommend bringing sunscreen and sunglasses because even in the mountains the sun can be intense ☀️.

See the glaciers of the Vanoise and the summit of Valmorel? 🏔️ Keep them in sight. Before reaching it, you’ll need to choose among 6 distances. On the menu: Les Cerisettes at 8.5 km, the Crève-Tête at 16 km,the Roche Blanche at 28 km Marathon de la Lauzière at 45 km and the one of Mad’Trail at 63 km where you’ll test your endurance and courage. Fancy a challenge? You can try the Kilomètre Vertical which is the 2nd stage of the KV challenge in the Vallées d’Aigueblanche (see more details here) or attempt the Combiné de Crève-Tête (16 km + Kilomètre Vertical) that will satisfy your adventure cravings 😅.

Moreover, the organizers are keen to make the event accessible to everyone, which is why this year the Mad'trail supports the sports association HANDI SPORT NAT.

The courses feature: a crossing of the Lauzière massif (Natura 2000 area), a passage through the famous col de la Madeleinethen through the vallée des Belleville, before reaching the aptly named peak of Crève-Tête. Bring your headlamp as you’ll start in the middle of the night 🌙 . An exceptional moment ahead: a sunrise over stunning mountains. You’ll also pass through hamlets and typical refuges, along ridge, forest and crest trails. But to reach this reward, you’ll have to push hard. Don’t worry, as we say, after the effort comes the reward: the 360° panorama is totally crazy (normal for the Mad'trail 😂) with a view over the entire valley where you’ll hear us singing “I believe I can fly” 🦅.

A quirky twist of the event on the KV (Vertical Kilometer) Crève-Tête: a steady climb for 3 km with 1000 m elevation gain. A vertical that'll burn quads and calories! 💪

There are also kids’ races suitable for all ages! 👶

As if the setting weren’t enough, the atmosphere here is unique and friendly, in the heart of a human-scale resort where the trail runner is king 👑. Guides will have plenty to offer, as organizers have planned activities and entertainments (high ropes course, zip line, pool entry, archery, biathlon initiation, inflatable structures, funny benji) for kids and grown-ups 👨‍👩‍👦‍👦.

For a successful post-race, don’t hesitate to ask the volunteers for advice; they’ll be happy to guide you and help you discover valleys rich in history and heritage.

So this Mad’trail, isn’t it something truly crazy?!